January 2013 ~ In This Together, Breast Cancer Support

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Survivor Project

These are the names of breast cancer survivors I've collected. I will probably do this again as I meet more warriors on my journey. Thanks to all of you for contributing to this project. ...

I'm extremely curious about http://www.lumosity.com/I want to get back in the game! back in life! back in work! I want my brain back!Got this from my new found blogging friend Denise http://denise4health.wordpress.com/I'll keep you posted ...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I'm Okay

I know it's been over a week since I last posted but I'm okay. Really! I'm not gonna lie...this is really hard.......and the next four treatments will be intense. Taxotere is not a nice drug but it's the only way to continue reducing the tumor. I will do whatever it takes to knock this stupid cancer out of my body. It took about a week to recover from the treatment on January 17th. I didn't even get on the computer during those days and only checked text messages. Then it was Friday and I had a busy weekend. Yesterday a student and teacher from my school came over for a couple hours. The student approached me in December...

Chronic Fatigue

Have you ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Have you ever wondered if people are sick and tired of you complaining about being sick and tired? Well, that's me in a nutshell. You would think that after declaring that I'm "cancer-free", it would all be "okay" by now. After all, the treatments are done.And I'm still not feeling 100% and I'm still really, really tired.There are probably things that I should be doing to help myself through this process of recovery. Eating betterExercising Do I need more iron?I could use some sunshine for sureLess stress?What the heck is WRONG...

Monday, January 21, 2013

Introduction to Breast Cancer

Article from Health Monitor Fall 2012Learning that you have breast cancer can, quite literally, stop you in your tracks. You may feel frozen in time, replaying over and over again in your mind the moment your doctor told you the news. It's normal to feel a wide range of emotions—fear, shock, depression, anger and even guilt.Slow down, take a moment and breathe. The emotions you are feeling are completely understandable. And if you are feeling nothing, that's OK, too. Oftentimes, when a woman hears the diagnosis "breast cancer," she goes temporarily numb. Take comfort, though, in knowing that, as of 2010, there are more than...

Names of Survivors

My sister has a wonderful idea for a project. She is asking for a list of names of breast cancer survivors. I got side tracked, like I normally do, and read a few of these googled articles ..... Pink WarriorsKate JacksonCelebrities - Breast Canc...

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I'm Taking Names

Carol and ChristieTomorrow is chemo #4, the last of this kick-ass combo. They will reduce the dosage by 20% and Doc will be keeping a close eye on me this time. I'm sure this will go much better than last time so please don't worry (self-talk). I will go back on Friday for the Neulasta shot in the tummy and then return on Monday for hydration (sounds like something you do to a plant). I will have 4 more treatments with another drug; the last one will be April 11th. Surgery will be in May, followed by radiation in the summer.Speaking...

Simplifying My Life

January 15, 2013 was my appointment with Doc Esther, my medical oncologist. This was to be my official parting of the ways.I was reading a book as I waited to be called in. Something not cancer related. The nurse took me to one of the exam rooms to take my vitals. As she did so, she asked me what the numbers 316 meant that was written on my bracelet. "It's a Bible verse." "Can you tell me what it says?" she asked."Are you sure?" She said she was.I then spoke the words ~John 3:16New King James Version...

Monday, January 14, 2013

Vision Problems

Photo by Carol at Christmas 2012 A few weeks ago I was clicking away at an event with Tommy's camera. I was having a hard time getting into focus and when I'd check the screen the picture was blurry. I approached a young man and asked him to help me figure out how to adjust the focus. He pointed the camera, looked through the lens and pressed the shutter button half way down then informed me that the camera was on auto-focus. Duh! He gave it back and I pointed to the same group, pressed the shutter button half way down and...

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Housekeeping

I've been able to shake the emotional and physical fatigue from the hospital stay last week. I was determined to make progress on some housekeeping chores and had a very productive weekend! Katie helped me sort tons of laundry Friday evening and got a couple of loads started. Then we put away my summer shirts and discovered winter pajamas tucked away in the closet! My mom sent over a package of plastic shower curtain hangers and we made this scarf organizer. Matching my outfits each day will be much easier. The...

Friday, January 11, 2013

The New Normal

This morning I opened the laundry room doors and discovered this disaster. For 25 years it's been our weekend routine to complete 4-5 loads, get everything folded and put away. Being in the hospital last week was the tipping point. As we try to get through each day the laundry and dust-bunnies are taking over the house. Yesterday I went into the dining room and found my 3 heirloom plants barely alive. I can't remember the last time I watered the poor things (or when I'd last been in the dining room). They are the only plants...

Monday, January 7, 2013

Unapologetic

I've spent the last week concerned about my sister, Christie. Now, I just got my hair back and she is gonna turn it gray! We are all keeping a sharp eye on missy now!I think this was a lesson to all of us, but especially for her. Each of us knows our own bodies best and when it is feeling bad, especially chemo patients, we got to recognize it for what it is and get help. Unapologetic For patients everywhere: Are you worried about being a nuisance?Think you are calling the doctor's office...

I Came This Close

I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and can't tell you how wonderful it is to be here. This morning I was feeling a little melancholy when thinking about my nurses and how blessed I was to have their care. I had my 10 day checkup with Doc today. She showed me how low all of my numbers were on Thursday and how they went up each day in the hospital. Today everything is normal. As I hopped back up on the table she asked who was responsible for getting me to finally call. I told her Richard dialed the number...

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Just Kidding

Guess what I had for dinner? The doc-on-call decided to torture me with hospital food a while longer. Looks like I will make my escape on Monday. The highlight of my day was my sister's visit, complete with a Frappe and french fries. Then my kids and husband for a couple more hours of family fun. They cracked me up! Here is something else that cracked me up and thought I'd share. Housekeeping stopped by just as I was getting off the phone. She wanted to engage in some light conversation. HK: "That sure is a big phone." ME:...

Friday, January 4, 2013

A Quart Low

This morning Doc Esther said I need to stay in the hospital another day and promised I could go home "this weekend". White blood count and blood pressure are too low so I am still receiving fluids this evening. My engine should be all tuned up and ready to go before long. Remember when I called myself a light weight and cheap date? Apparently alcohol isn't the only thing I metabolize differently. Doc said we will need to cut back on the chemo drugs by 20 %. I know! I was alarmed also! I asked, "Will I need an...

Prayers for Christie

Christie was admitted to the hospital yesterday and will stay in for another night. She is getting a much needed dose of hydration and TLC. ...

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Detour

It's been a week since chemo#3 and somehow all the plans I made to make this better backfired. I was getting worse by the day and called Doc this morning. I lost weight (absolutely forbidden in chemo-land), couldn't walk without panting like a sick dog and would collapse at the drop of a hat. Doc gave me the eyeball test, ( said I looked like hell.) And then admitted me to the hospital for some fluid and antibiotics. That's when the adventure really began. They put me in the urology unit at 1:30. Because my husband kept making calls, I finally got an IV at 5:30. Tommy and Katie came to visit just in time...